Islanders end Hornets’ season

POQUOSON — For five innings, Poquoson High’s hitters did it their way, impatiently attempting to pull the baseball against a left-handed pitcher who lived on the outside corner. In the bottom of the sixth, the Islanders heeded their coach’s advice and started moving the ball to the opposite field.

The change netted the Islanders five hits and four runs, enough to catapult them to a 4-2 come-from-behind win over visiting Orange County on Tuesday in the Group AA quarterfinals. The Islanders (26-1) booked a return trip to the state semis in Pulaski, where they’ll play the Grafton-Potomac Falls winner on Friday at 10 a.m. at Calfee Field.

The Islanders trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, when senior Ross Hoogstraten tied the game with a two-out, two-run single to right field — one of four hits in the inning to center or right. Freshman Dylan Hill capped the rally with a two-run bloop double to left to put the Islanders ahead 4-2.

The Islanders entered the sixth with only two hits, and no other base runners, against lefty Derek Justice. Justice — whose curve and awkward delivery had stifled the Islanders — struck out seven and allowed just two hits prior to the Poquoson rally.

“I got in it a little bit at the start of the sixth and told the kids they were going to do it my way for two innings,” said Poquoson coach Ken Bennett. “I said we were going to spread out and hit it middle-to-right side.

“I said if we do that, we win the ballgame.”

Clark Pinder and Tee McConnell started the sixth-inning rally with one-out back-to-back singles to right field. After Chad Pinder hit into a force-out, he and McConnell advanced to second and third on a wild pitch.

Hoogstraten stroked Justice’s curve to right field for a single. As McConnell and Chad Pinder ran home to tie the game, Hoogstraten pumped his fist in celebration.

Dylan Hill would feel the same elation moments later. Chad Funkhouser followed Hoogstraten with a single to center, chasing Justice (8-1) in favor of James Madison-bound right-hander D.J. Brown.

“Derek tired just enough where I didn’t think we should keep him in there,” said Orange coach Jesse Lohr. “We had a Division I kid ready to go.”

Brown hit Hill’s brother, Luke, with a pitch to load the bases before Dylan lofted a 2-2 inside fastball into shallow left. The ball dropped in the middle of three Hornets to score two runs and give the Islanders a 4-2 lead.

“I was nervous,” Dylan Hill said. “I’ve never been on this big a stage before. I’m happy I could pull through for the team.”

Lohr added: “No regrets. Our best two guys came out on the mound. We didn’t make a defensive play when we needed it.”

Kyle Crockett’s gritty pitching effort made the comeback possible. Sidelined by a muscle strain in his right side, Crockett (12-0) did not have his best stuff.

He hung a curve in the top of the fourth that Brown hit over the center-field fence to give the Hornets (21-3) a 2-0 lead. But Crockett battled back, picking off two base runners over the next two innings.

The Islanders ousted two more Hornets on the base paths — one attempting to steal and another attempting to take two bases on a sacrifice bunt. Crockett covered third on the latter play, making the tag on a throw from first baseman Hoogstraten.

“Our pitcher had his good stuff today and we had some quality hits,” Lohr said, “but we had some opportunities we let get by.”

After finishing off his six-hitter, his eighth complete game this season, Crockett said, “I can’t wait to get back to Pulaski. Hopefully we go there and do better, and win this year.”